Container closure

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a container closure made of plastic having a spout with a jacket for fastening the closure to a container and for drinking out of the container, and having a lower rim and a nozzle adjoining the jacket and surrounding a pouring opening, the spout having an internal thread formed on the inner face of the jacket for screwing onto the neck of the container. Furthermore, the closure has a closure cap which is connected to the spout and has on its inner side a sealing element for closing the pouring opening, and a hinge with which the closure cap can be pivoted relative to the spout from a closed position into an open position and vice versa. A plurality of thread turns are formed on the outer face of the jacket.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a national phase entry under 37 U.S.C § 371 of PCT/EP2021/084532 filed Dec. 7, 2021, which claims priority to Swiss Patent Application No. 01555/20 filed Dec. 8, 2020, the entirety of each of which is incorporated by this reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a container closure and to a container having a container closure.

PRIOR ART

Hinged closures with a hinged cap which close plastic bottles are known from the prior art in the field of plastic closures. The cap enables the bottle to be closed again particularly quickly and is therefore particularly suitable for use during sports activities. The cap is fastened to the top end of a holding jacket by means of a hinge. The holding jacket can in turn be screwed onto the neck of a bottle. At its bottom end, the holding jacket is connected by predetermined breaking webs to a tamper-proof ring, which is held non-detachably on the bottle neck.

The described closure is unsuitable for carbonated beverages, since, after the first opening, the cap can be pushed open in an uncontrolled and undesired manner by the overpressure. In addition, the holding jacket together with the cap can be unscrewed from the bottle and therefore not be held captive on the bottle. However, according to the latest legal position in Europe, the inseparable connection between the hinged closure and the bottle is a mandatory criterion for a plastic closure which closes a bottle made of plastic.

WO 2007/038991 A1 discloses a container closure which comprises a flange and a rotary closure. Connected in an articulated manner to the rotary closure is a protective cap which closes or uncovers the pouring opening of the container closure. The flange consists of a first and a second cylindrical jacket arranged one above the other, wherein the first jacket has a larger diameter than the second jacket. The first jacket has an internal thread and at its lower end is connected to a tamper-proof ring via tamper-proof webs. The first jacket is therefore similar to a conventional screw cap. The second jacket has an external thread which interacts with an internal thread of the rotary closure. An inwardly-oriented pin, which interacts with a sealing lip of the flange, is formed on the rotary closure. Since the pin moves axially in relation to the sealing lip during rotation of the rotary closure, the closure can be opened in a measured manner. As a result, it is suitable for carbonated beverages, since the overpressure can be reduced in a measured manner by rotating the rotary closure. After the overpressure has been released, the protective cap can be opened.

However, the container closure has an extremely complicated structure and is correspondingly expensive to manufacture. In particular, due to its two-stage jacket, the flange is complicated to produce. The corresponding injection-molding tool is correspondingly expensive.

Advantages of the Invention

From the disadvantages of the prior art described, the invention provides a hinged closure which is suitable for carbonated beverages and is captively held on a container.

Another object is to show a hinged closure which is as cost-effective as possible to manufacture.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The container closure of the invention is achieved by the subject matter stated in the independent claims. Developments and/or advantageous alternative embodiments form the subject matter of the dependent claims.

The invention includes a plurality of thread turns being formed on the outer face of the jacket. As a result, the angle of rotation of the closure cap relative to the spout can be precisely defined. This results in it being possible to determine from which angle of rotation the cap can be opened or up to which angle of rotation the opening of the cap is blocked. The pitch of the thread turns leads to the cap being lifted axially from the spout by the rotation of the cap. As a result, depending upon the size of the rotation angle, a gas overpressure built up in the container can be reduced in a controlled manner. In addition, the thread turns can be produced in a simply designed and correspondingly inexpensive injection mold. In addition, the container neck and its external thread do not have to be adapted to the container closure. The container closure is therefore suitable for screwing onto a standard neck of a bottle.

In a further embodiment of the invention, lower thread turns and, on top of them, upper thread turns are formed on the jacket outer face. This has the advantage that the cap can be guided in the upper thread turns, and a tamper-proof ring can be provided which is guided in the lower thread turns.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the lower thread turns have a first and a second stop, which stops delimit the lower thread turns. As a result, the angle of rotation of the cap relative to the spout is clearly defined between the first and second stops.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the upper thread turns have a first stop and an open thread runout. The open thread runout makes it possible for the cap to be unlocked after full rotation relative to the spout and to be able to be folded open upwards.

It proves advantageous if the upper and lower thread turns are of the same length, and their first stops are arranged vertically one above the other. As a result, movements of the cap and of the tamper-proof ring proceed without any friction and synchronously. Accordingly, it is also advantageous if the upper and lower thread turns have the same pitch.

The thread runouts expediently open into the upper rim of the jacket. As a result, the cap can be folded upwards when it is unlocked.

In a further embodiment, at the free rim of the closure cap, a tamper-proof ring is connected by the hinge and by at least one predetermined breaking web to the cap. The tamper-proof ring is guided non-detachably in the lower thread turns, whereby the cap is also captively held on the spout. Due to the fact that the tamper-proof ring interacts with the cap and not with the spout, the spout can be fastened non-detachably to the container neck. This feature is of particular importance for a simply designed and captive container closure.

It proves advantageous if at least one first pin is formed on the inner side of the tamper-proof ring and engages in one of the lower thread turns. The first pin can therefore be moved between the first and second stops, as a result of which the angle of rotation of the cap and the tamper-proof ring is defined. In addition, the tamper-proof ring is held non-detachably on the spout by a plurality of first pins.

In another embodiment, the invention also includes at least one second pin, which engages in one of the upper thread turns, being formed on the inner side of the closure cap above the free rim. As long as the second pin runs in the upper thread turn, the cap cannot be opened. Only when the second pin is rotated into the thread runout will the cap be in the unlocking position and the second pin be able to move upwards out of the thread runout. If the second pin is located in the upper thread turn, the cap will not be able to be pushed away by an overpressure in the container, since it is held on the spout by the second pins.

An elevation is, advantageously, formed in the upper thread turns and/or in the lower thread turns. The elevation indicates to the user that a pin is striking the elevation, and the cap is unlocked by overcoming this elevation. The user therefore receives haptic feedback about the position in which the closure cap is located.

Advantageously, the elevation is of such a height that one of the pins, during rotation, can slide over the elevation with a resistance perceptible to the user. The elevation therefore provides only feedback, but does not damage the pins during frequent opening and closing of the cap.

It proves expedient if the container closure has an axis of rotation about which the closure cap together with the tamper-proof ring can be rotated relative to the spout. The closure is therefore intuitive and easy to use by rotating the cap, and is nevertheless suitable for carbonated beverages, which create an overpressure in the bottle. By slow rotation of the cap, an overpressure in the bottle can be reduced in a measured manner. The cap can also be slightly rotated first, in order to wait until the overpressure is dissipated. The cap can then be rotated over the resistance of the elevation and be folded into the open position. In addition, the closure can be screwed onto standard bottle necks and is captively held thereon.

It proves advantageous if the jacket has an upper rim on which a connecting surface adjoins, which connects the upper rim to the nozzle. By means of the connecting surface, the external diameter of the nozzle can be reduced to a comfortable size for insertion into the mouth. In addition, the connecting surface makes it possible for the jacket to be screwed onto a standard bottle neck.

In a further embodiment of the invention, an undercut is provided on the inner side of the spout above the lower rim, which undercut is formed for a non-detachable form-fit with the container. The undercut can snap onto the container neck via an annular bead. The annular bead is present on every standard bottle neck. The undercut makes it possible for the spout to be able to be screwed onto each standardized bottle neck and nevertheless be captively held thereon.

In a further embodiment of the invention, at least one indentation is provided on the free rim of the closure cap, in which indentation the at least one predetermined breaking web is arranged for releasably connecting the closure cap to the tamper-proof ring. The indentation makes clear recognition possible as to whether the predetermined breaking web is intact or broken. This ensures that, provided the predetermined breaking web is not broken, the cap has not been opened.

The hinge expediently has a latching mechanism by which the cap is fixed in the open position. This latching mechanism can be realized by holding strips or a film hinge which are overstretched when the cap is pivoted and can shorten again in the first open position.

In a further embodiment of the invention, an outer ring is formed on the inner side of the cap, and, in the closed position, the end of the nozzle is arranged between the outer ring and the sealing element. As a result, the end of the nozzle is sealed several times, and gas overpressures of up to 10 bar can be sealed. The outer ring prevents the end of the nozzle from deforming outwards due to the overpressure and becoming leaky.

The outer face of the jacket is, expediently, corrugated at the lower rim. As a result, the spout can be held securely when the cap is screwed on.

In a further embodiment of the invention, a sealing ring is formed on the inner side of the connecting surface. The sealing ring can act as a “cone sealer” in a known manner. The spout has all features of a standard closure cap and can therefore be screwed onto any standardized bottle neck.

A further aspect of the invention relates to a combination of the container closure and the container, which have been described further above. The invention is also characterized in that, when the container closure is being screwed onto the container neck for the first time, the undercut interacts in a form-fitting manner with the annular bead in such a way that the container closure is held non-detachably on the container. As a result, the container closure is captively held on the container. In an elegant manner, the annular bead, which usually holds a tamper-proof ring of a closure cap, is used for a form-fitting, non-detachable connection to the spout.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further advantages and features will become apparent from the following description of an embodiment of the invention with reference to the schematic drawings, in which, in a representation not true to scale, are shown:

FIG. 1 : a perspectival view of a container closure placed on a container, said container closure having a spout and a closure cap, which is pivotably attached to a tamper-proof ring, wherein the closure is closed;

FIG. 2 : a longitudinal section through the container closure and the container neck;

FIG. 3 : a perspectival view of the container closure, wherein the cap is free to fold open;

FIG. 4 : a perspectival view of the closure, wherein the cap is folded open;

FIG. 5 : a side view of the spout;

FIG. 6 : a perspectival view of the closure cap and the tamper-proof ring, and

FIG. 7 : a further perspectival view of the cap, wherein a hinge for folding open the cap is shown.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIGS. 1 through 4 show a container closure that is denoted as a whole by reference number 11. The closure 11 is screwed onto a container 13, and in particular a bottle 13. The closure 11 is injection-molded from a plastic, and the bottle may be blown from a plastic. Of course, the bottle also covers a preform, from which it is blown.

The closure 11 has a spout 15, a closure cap 17, and a tamper-proof ring 19. The user can drink from the spout 15 when the cap 17 is open (FIG. 4 ), and the spout can be screwed onto the container 13. The cap 17 can be pivoted from a closed position into an open position and vice versa. The cap 17 is connected to the tamper-proof ring 19 in an articulated manner by means of a hinge 21. The tamper-proof ring 19 is held on the spout 15.

The spout 15 has a jacket 23 with a lower rim 25 and a connecting surface 27 at its upper rim 26. A nozzle 29 with a smaller external diameter than the outer diameter of the jacket 23 adjoins the connecting surface 27. The nozzle 29 surrounds a pouring opening 30. Due to its small external diameter, the nozzle 29 facilitates drinking from the container 13. An internal thread 31 is formed on the inner surface of the jacket, whereby the jacket 23 can be screwed onto a standard neck 33 of a container 13 with an external thread 35. In addition to the external thread 35, the standard container neck, and in particular the bottle neck 33, usually has an annular bead 37 and a support ring 39. The annular bead 37 is arranged below the external thread 35, and the support ring 39 is arranged below the annular bead 37. The annular bead is usually used to hold a tamper-proof ring of a standard closure cap. A sealing element 41 is formed on the inner side of the closure cap 17 and closes the pouring opening 30 in a liquid- and gas-tight manner in the closed position of the cap 17. The neck 33 merges into the container body 42.

A plurality of lower thread turns 43 and upper thread turns 45 are formed on the outer face of the jacket. The lower thread turns 43 are not designed to be open and are delimited by a first and a second stop 47 a, 49. In contrast, the upper thread turns 49 have an open thread runout 51 and a first stop 47 b, as a result of which the upper thread turns are open at one end. The open thread runouts 51 open into the upper rim 26 of the jacket 23.

First pins 53, which engage in the lower thread turns 43, are formed on the inside of the tamper-proof ring 19. On the inside of the closure cap 17, second pins 57 which engage in the upper thread turns 45 are formed above the free rim 55. Elevations 59 are formed in the upper thread turns 45.

Above the lower rim 25, an undercut 61 is provided on the inside of the spout 15. When the spout 15 is being screwed onto the container neck 33, the undercut 61 snaps over the annular bead 37. As a result, the spout is held in a form-fitting and non-detachable manner on the neck 33.

Before the cap 17 is opened for the first time, the tamper-proof ring 19 is connected to a plurality of predetermined breaking webs 63, which break when the cap 17 is opened for the first time. At least one indentation 65 is provided on the free rim 55 of the cap 17. A predetermined breaking web 63 is arranged in the indentation. The indentation 65 makes possible an easy detection as to whether the predetermined breaking web 63 is intact (FIG. 6 ) or broken (FIG. 3 ).

On the inner side of the cap 17, an outer ring 67 is formed around the sealing element 41. The end of the nozzle 29 is arranged in the closed position between the sealing element 41 and the outer ring 67, wherein the sealing element 41 projects into the nozzle. As a result, the pouring opening 30 is sealed against a CO₂ overpressure of a carbonated beverage. A sealing ring 69, which projects into the neck 33, is formed on the inside of the connecting surface 27. The sealing ring takes the form of a conical sealing ring 69, which acts as a so-called “cone sealer.”

The jacket has a corrugation 71 on the lower rim of the outer surface. As a result, the spout 15 can be held securely when the cap 17 is rotated relative to the spout 15.

The hinge 21 connects the cap 17 to the tamper-proof ring 19 about which the cap 17, relative to the tamper-proof ring 15 or the spout 15, is pivotable from a closed position into an open position and vice versa. The hinge 21 is realized by a first and a second holding strip 73 a, 73 b. The hinge 21 is designed such that the cap 17 can latch in the open position.

The container closure functions as follows:

After the bottle 13 has been filled, the closure 11 is screwed onto the neck 33. Here, the closure 11 must be rotated clockwise (i.e., in the screwing-on direction) until the undercut 61 is pressed over the annular bead 37 and a form-fitting connection is thereby realized. The form-fit results in the closure 11 being non-detachably held on the bottle 13 and no longer being able to be unscrewed. The closure 11 is characterized in that the overpressure produced by carbonated beverages in the closed bottle 13 can be reduced in a controlled and intuitive manner. For this purpose, the cap 17 and the tamper-proof ring 19 are to be rotated, relative to the spout, about the axis of rotation 75 of the closure 11. When the cap 17 is closed gas-tight, the sealing element projects into the pouring opening 30, and the second pins 57 are held firmly in the upper thread turns 45. As a result, the cap 17 cannot be opened, and is locked.

During the rotation, which serves to open the cap 17 in a measured manner, the first and second pins 53, 57 slide in the lower and upper threads 43, 45. The pitches of the lower and upper threads 43, 45 are identical. Corresponding to the pitches, the cap 17 is raised in the axial direction. As a result, it can be raised continuously. The overpressure can therefore escape faster or more slowly from the bottle 13, depending upon how much the closure cap 17 and the tamper-proof ring 19 are rotated. For example, the cap 17 is slightly rotated until the greatest pressure is reduced, and can then be rotated further in order to release the remaining overpressure.

The cap 17 and the tamper-proof ring 19 can be rotated further until the second pins 57 abut the elevations 59. This haptic signal indicates to the user that the closure cap 17 can be opened, when the resistance caused by the elevation 59 is overcome. If this resistance is overcome, the cap will be in an unlocking position. The elevation 59 is of such a height that the second pin 57 can be pushed over it without damage. The overpressure is, expediently, completely dissipated before the cap 17 is in the unlocking position. In the unlocking position, the second pins 57 are located in the region of the open thread runout 51. For this reason, the path for the second pins 57 is upwardly free, and the cap 17 can be pivoted into the open position. Due to the special design of the hinge 21 with two strips 73 a, 73 b, the cap 17 can latch in the open position. When the cap 21 is opened for the first time, the predetermined breaking webs 63 break.

The cap 21 cannot be rotated further from the unlocking position, since the first pins 53 abut the second stops 49. By reversing the opening process, the cap can be returned to the gas-tight closure position. The gas-tight closure position is indicated haptically by the fact that the first and second pins 53, 57 abut the first stops 47 a, 47 b. It is therefore advantageous if the first stops 47 a, 47 b of the upper and lower thread turns 43, 45 are arranged vertically one above the other, and the upper and lower thread turns 43, 45 are of the same length.

The present container closure 11 is suitable for closing a container or a bottle 13 in which an increased internal pressure prevails or builds up. The closure 11 is therefore particularly suitable for carbonated beverages with which the bottle 13 is filled, although the closure has a pivotable cap 21.

By slowly rotating from the second closed position into the second open position, the internal pressure in the bottle 13 can be reduced in a controlled manner. Only in the second open position is the cap released for pivoting. The cap can then be pivoted from the first closed position into the first open position. The closure can also be reclosed, as a result of which the carbonated liquid can be prevented from surging out after the first opening. In addition, the closure cap 11 is captively held on the bottle 13. 

1. A container closure made of plastic, comprising: a spout configured for drinking out of a container, comprising: a jacket for fastening a closure to the container, the jacket having an internal thread formed on an inner face of the jacket configured for screwing onto a neck of the container and a plurality of thread turns formed on an outer face of the jacket; a lower rim; and a nozzle adjoining the jacket and defining a pouring opening; a closure cap coupled to the spout and having a sealing element on an inner side of the spout for closing the pouring opening; and a hinge coupling the closure cap relative to the spout to allow the closure cap to pivot from a closed position to an open position relative to the spout and vice versa.
 2. The container closure according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of thread turns comprise lower thread turns and upper thread turns lying above the lower thread turns.
 3. The container closure according to claim 2, wherein the lower thread turns have a first and a second stop, the first and second stops delimit the lower thread turns.
 4. The container closure according to claim 2, wherein the upper thread turns have a first stop and an open thread runout.
 5. The container closure according to claim 4, wherein the thread runouts open into an upper rim of the jacket.
 6. The container closure according to claim 4, wherein the upper and lower threads are of the same length, and the first stop of the upper threads and the first stop of the lower threads are arranged vertically one above the other.
 7. The container closure according to claim 1, wherein on a free rim of the closure cap, a tamper-proof ring is connected to the closure cap by the hinge and by at least one breaking web.
 8. The container closure according to claim 7, further comprising at least one first pin configured to engage in one of the lower thread turns and is formed on an inner side of the tamper-proof ring.
 9. The container closure according to claim 8, further comprising at least one second pin formed on an inner side of the closure cap above the free rim and configured to engage in one of the upper thread turns.
 10. The container closure according to claim 9, further comprising an elevation formed in the upper thread turns and/or in the lower thread turns.
 11. The container closure according to claim 10, wherein the elevation is of a height that, during rotation, one of the at least one first or second pins can slide over the elevation with a resistance perceptible to a user.
 12. The container closure according to claim 7, wherein the container closure has an axis of rotation about which the closure cap together with the tamper-proof ring is rotatable relative to the spout.
 13. The container closure according to claim 1, wherein the jacket has an upper rim forming a connecting surface that connects the upper rim to the nozzle.
 14. The container closure according to claim 1, wherein the spout defines an undercut on the inner side of the spout above the lower rim, said undercut configured to have a non-detachable form-fit with the container.
 15. The container closure according to claim 7, wherein the free rim of the closure cap defines at least one indentation, the at least one breaking web arranged in the indentation for releasably connecting the closure cap to the tamper-proof ring.
 16. The container closure according to claim 1, wherein the hinge has a latching mechanism configured to fix the closure cap in the open position.
 17. The container closure according to claim 1, further comprising an outer ring formed on an inner side of the cap, wherein in the closed position, an end of the nozzle is arranged between the outer ring and the sealing element.
 18. The container closure according to claim 1, wherein the outer face of the jacket is corrugated at the lower rim.
 19. The container closure according to claim 13, further comprising a sealing ring formed on an inner side of the connecting surface.
 20. A container, comprising: a container body for receiving a filling material; a container neck, adjoining the container body and enclosing a dispensing opening, the container neck having an outer thread formed on an outer surface thereof; an annular bead formed below the external thread; and a container closure, comprising: a spout configured for drinking out of the container, the spout defining an undercut on an inner side of the spout above a lower rim of the spout, the undercut configured to have a non-detachable form-fit with the container, the spout comprising: a jacket for fastening a closure to the container and having an internal thread formed on an inner face of the jacket for screwing onto a neck of the container; a lower rim; and a nozzle adjoining the jacket and defining a pouring opening; a closure cap coupled to the spout and having a sealing element on an inner side of the spout for closing the pouring opening; a hinge coupling the closure cap relative to the spout to allow the closure cap to pivot from a closed position relative to the spout to an open position and vice versa; and a plurality of thread turns formed on an outer face of the jacket; whereby, when the container closure is screwed onto the container neck for a first time, the container closure interacts in a form-fitting manner with the annular bead to non-detachably hold the container closure to the container. 